Creating a Winning Broadcast Segment

Securing a broadcast segment is a big win in the PR world. Broadcast television is a great way to deliver messages to a wide audience in a short amount of time. Keeping it visually compelling, identifying strong spokespeople and staying on message contribute to the success of the coverage. There are plenty of tips and tricks to keep in mind to ensure the segment garners meaningful and positive attention for your client and goes as smoothly as possibly.

• Craft a Creative Pitch: Whether you’re pitching a live demo of a product or a food or drink sampling, make sure it is visually compelling and relevant to viewers. Community impact elements and entertainment factors are also helpful. If you have graphics or b-roll, include those visuals in your pitch. For breaking news or events, pitch the local news desks. For in-studio or longer-lead story ideas, pitch the appropriate producer or reporter.
• Have a Game Plan: First identify your audience and the type of segment you secured – live, pre-recorded, in-studio or on-location. The type of segment will determine how to prepare your client and what key messages and visuals will be most appropriate. It is also important to know who your audience is and what you want them to know.
• Identify Strong Spokespeople: An effective spokesperson is not just a messenger, they represent the bigger picture. While your spokesperson should be an industry expert, they should also be comfortable on camera and experienced telling the story to an external audience. The strength of your spokesperson makes a significant difference in how an audience will perceive your company, products or services. 
• Deliver Key Talking Points: Broadcast segments are typically brief – a few minutes in length – and time flies! That means that there is a limited amount of time to deliver your key messages. When drafting talking points, pinpoint two or three top-line messages that you want to communicate – no matter what the questions are.
• Schedule Media Training: Part of our jobs as PR pros is to provide media interview preparation for clients, including body language and eye contact. Sharing the dos and don’ts of being on camera (e.g. good posture, looking at the reporter not at the camera, be conversational) and suggesting what to wear (avoid patterns and white shirts), are all necessary for nailing the segment.

TV offers a unique opportunity to share a client’s message in a powerful way. Follow these steps and you’ll be on your way creating a winning broadcast segment.